Surface conditions of a road or runway can change rapidly with changes in weather and other environmental conditions. These changes in surface conditions can greatly affect the operation and safety of vehicles operating on these surfaces. For example, a build up of moisture, contaminants, or other surface coverings on a road can greatly affect the stopping distance of a motor vehicle driven at a selected speed. If the surface conditions are known, the vehicle operator can take the surface conditions into consideration when operating the vehicle. For example, the vehicle operator can reduce speed and increase following distances when driving on a wet road. Additionally, when surface conditions are known, maintenance crews may be able to take actions to improve the surface conditions so that operating safety can be increased. Accordingly, it can be important to track changes in surface conditions of a road or runway in a timely manner and to provide this information to vehicle operators, maintenance crews, and the like.